What causes the disease of Diabetes?

Diabetes is a medical disease where the amount of sugar in your bloodstream becomes too high because it has a problem getting into your cells.  Blood sugar goes up after eating and the hormone insulin is then released into the blood stream. To get into the cell to become fuel for the cell’s energy factory, the blood glucose (sugar) molecule must be transported through a “door” into the cell.  Insulin is needed to open the “door”.   Insulin is made in specialized cells of the pancreas and its release is triggered when the  level of blood glucose (sugar) in your blood increases.

In Type one diabetes the insulin making cells in the pancreas (Beta cells) are destroyed and external insulin injections are needed for the rest of that person’s life.

Type two diabetes is different, it follows a slow pathway over several years to decades. In the beginning, normal cells start demanding a higher level of insulin to open the “door” and take in the sugar molecules. (This is known as Insulin Resistance)  As the resistance progresses, the person often gains weight since insulin is the fat storage hormone. After a few years, the specialized (Beta) cells of the pancreas begin to wear out. This causes the average daily blood sugar level to increase. When this occurs, the person is prediabetic and many prediabetic patients will go on to  have the disease of  Diabetes. When diagnosised as having the disease of Diabetes, your body can no longer produce the enough insulin to control the blood sugar levels from becoming too high and causing damage throughout your body.

Once the fasting blood sugar starts going above 120 mg/Dl or the average blood sugar level (Hemoglobin A-1c) goes above 6.4% the person is diagnosed as having Diabetes. At this point it is estimated that about ½ of the person’s insulin producing (beta) cells are destroyed or malfunctioning. The patient is put on strict diet, exercise programs and various medications to control the disease of Diabetes. Many patients control their disease well with this treatment. However, after having Diabetes for several years, some patients need supplemental injections of insulin to stay in control since most of the pancreatic Beta cells no longer function adequately.

Decreasing the amount of body fat especially around your waist will greatly decrease your risk of developing the disease of Type 2 Diabetes.   GMOS Clinic will help you achieve your goals — call us at (352) 672-9000 or email us.           staff@gmosclinic.com